What do changes in weather and stressed-out birds have to do with your health? In a study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Jeffry Shaman of Columbia University and Marc Lipsitch of Harvard University are beginning to see a new link between La Nina conditions and outbreaks of the flu that could help governments and public health officials determine when the next pandemic will strike.

From Seattle to Los Angeles, anywhere from 50 to 80 percent of the water people use comes from mountain snow. Snow falls in the mountains in the winter, where it's stored as snowpack until spring and summer when it flows down the mountains into reservoirs. It's a clean, reliable source of water. But soon, it may become less dependable, thanks to climate change.

In light of global concerns about emissions and climate change, the aviation industry is cleaning up its act. The industry is reducing emissions, decreasing fuel use, increasing efficiency and developing new technologies to alter its environmental impacts. The November issue of EARTH magazine focuses on the changes to learn how the aviation industry is using synthetic fuels and engineering, and even altering common flight plans to keep up with changing protocols and dwindling resources.

The essential Earth Science Week 2009 (October 11-17) Toolkit enables students, educators, and the public to fully explore this year's theme "Understanding Climate." The latest edition of this resource is now available through the American Geological Institute (AGI).

The American Geological institute (AGI) is sponsoring three national contests in conjunction with Earth Science Week 2009, "Understanding Climate," October 11-17.

The American Geological Institute is announcing that "Understanding Climate" is the theme for the 2009 Earth Science Week.